Lorenzo Nigro | Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma (original) (raw)

Papers by Lorenzo Nigro

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed surgery in neurologically intact patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures: to reduce pain and improve quality of life

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2018

This is a retrospective study on 18 patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures ... more This is a retrospective study on 18 patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures (TLJBF) A3 or A4 at computed tomography (CT) scan who referred to our hospital. To assess the surgical results in terms of pain and quality of life in a series of neurologically intact patients affected by TLJBF who underwent surgery after 3-4 months from the injury. In literature there is controversy if pain could be an indication for surgery in TLJBF and series of patients conservatively managed with success have been reported. A retrospective study on 18 patients is reported. Patients included in this series were neurologically intact and affected by a TLJBF A3 or A4 at CT scan, the height of the burst vertebral body was >50%, spinal canal invasion was <30% and kyphosis deformity <30 degrees. Pain and quality of life were evaluated using graphic rating scale (GRS) and EuroQol (EQ-5D) scores on admission, at the clinical follow-up and in post-surgical period. Comparing pre- an...

Research paper thumbnail of Revision surgery for degenerative spinal deformity: a case report and review of the literature

Spinal cord series and cases, 2017

Management of spinal degenerative deformities always represents a challenge for the spinal surgeo... more Management of spinal degenerative deformities always represents a challenge for the spinal surgeon. We report a case of revision surgery for adult scoliosis, focusing of most common errors in pre-surgical management and criteria for reoperation. We analyzed the spino-pelvic parameters on the standing whole-spine X-ray and the role of sagittal balance. To restore 45° of lumbar lordosis, we performed a L3 Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy (PSO), along with L2-L3 and L3-L4 eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF). In cases of adult scoliosis, careful preoperative planning is necessary in an attempt to avoid difficult, expensive, and high-risk additional procedures.

Research paper thumbnail of The Manubriotomy is a safe option for the anterior approach to the cervico-thoracic junction

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Static and dynamic cervical MRI: two useful exams in cervical myelopathy

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard exam in the assessment of patients... more Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard exam in the assessment of patients affected by cervical myelopathy and is very useful in planning the operation. Herein we present a series of patients affected by long tract symptoms who underwent dynamic MRI in addition to the static exam. In the period between March 2010 and March 2012, three-hundred-ten patients referred to our department since affected by neck/arm pain or symptoms related to cervical myelopathy. Thirty-eight patients complained "long-tract symptoms" related to cervical myelopathy. This series of patients was enrolled in the study. All patients underwent clinical and neurological exam. In all the cases, a static and dynamic cervical MRI was executed using a 3.0-T superconducting MR unit (Intera, Philips, Eindhoven, Netherlands). The dynamic exam was performed with as much neck flexion and extension the patient could achieve alone. On T2-weigthed MRI each level was assessed independently by ...

Research paper thumbnail of C5 palsy after insertion of a winged expandable cervical cage: a case report and literature review

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

C5 nerve root palsy is a well-known complication after anterior or posterior cervical decompressi... more C5 nerve root palsy is a well-known complication after anterior or posterior cervical decompression. Many theories have been proposed but the etiology is still unclear. The use of a winged expandable cage after single or multiple corpectomy is among the used techniques in reconstructing the cervical spine. Herein we report a case of C5 palsy after a three-level corpectomy and reconstruction using this device for the treatment of cervical spondylosis. In our case the preexisting foraminal stenosis, wide anterior decompression and partial improvement of cervical alignment were factors supposed contributing to the palsy.

Research paper thumbnail of A case of cervical tuberculosis with severe kyphosis treated with a winged expandable cage after double corpectomy

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

In this case report, we demonstrate that the use of a winged expandable cage was able to obtain g... more In this case report, we demonstrate that the use of a winged expandable cage was able to obtain good clinical and radiological results in a case of cervical tuberculosis with severe kyphosis. However, case series will be necessary to affirm its validity as a stand-alone device for similar cases with high risk of instability.

Research paper thumbnail of Vertebral hemangiomas: common lesions with still many unknown aspects

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Lumbar Annular Tear in the Absence of Nerve Root Compression: Is Discectomy Useful?

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2016

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-No... more This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. How to cite this article: Raju B, Lukose S, Reddy NK. Does lack of resources within the family starting point to social exclusion for persons with brain cancer?.

Research paper thumbnail of Decompression versus decompression and fusion for degenerative lumbar stenosis: analysis of the factors influencing the outcome of back pain and disability

Journal of Spine Surgery, 2016

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of bac... more Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of back pain and disability in patients operated for lumbar stenosis without instability and deformity using two classical surgical techniques: decompression alone and decompression plus fusion. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent lumbar surgery with standard posterior decompression or standard posterior decompression plus pedicle screw fixation for degenerative lumbar stenosis without deformity, spondylolisthesis or instability at our department from June 2010 to January 2014. They were divided into two groups: decompression group (D) and decompression-fusion group (F). We analyzed the following factors: age, gender, levels of stenosis, pre-surgical "micro-instability", and post-surgical "micro-instability". Results: A total of 174 patients were enrolled in the study. Both Graphic Rating Scale (GRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were significantly decreased after surgery (P<0.001). Female patients appeared to have lesser improvements from surgery, for both D and F groups. An analysis of variance using the decrease of pain (GRS pre-post) as dependent variable and type of surgery, age, gender and their interaction as factors showed that the main effects of type of surgery and gender were significant. The analysis of variance for the decrease of pain (GRS) and disability (ODI) according to the levels of stenosis showed a significant interaction for GRS scores. Female patients that underwent fixation surgery reported the least improvement in disability. A significant interaction was found on the one-way analysis of variance for the D group without pre-surgical micro-instability using post-surgical micro-instability as factor. Conclusions: Our study supports posterior decompression alone as the gold standard option as treatment for lumbar stenosis without instability and deformity. Additional fusion should be considered only to prevent post-surgical instability. The "micro-instability" is a radiological finding that has its clinical surrogate but is not able to guide the choice of the type of surgery. Moreover the significance of "micro-instability" is still unclear. We suggest a prospective study following patients with asymptomatic micro-instability to definitively understand the clinical history.

Research paper thumbnail of Letter to the Editor. Plasticity of the supplementary motor area

Neurosurgical Focus, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Neurosurg Focus Volume 45 @BULLET LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Research paper thumbnail of Considerations regarding supplementary motor area syndrome after surgery for parasagittal meningiomas

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed surgery in neurologically intact patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures: to reduce pain and improve quality of life

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2018

This is a retrospective study on 18 patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures ... more This is a retrospective study on 18 patients affected by thoraco-lumbar junction burst fractures (TLJBF) A3 or A4 at computed tomography (CT) scan who referred to our hospital. To assess the surgical results in terms of pain and quality of life in a series of neurologically intact patients affected by TLJBF who underwent surgery after 3-4 months from the injury. In literature there is controversy if pain could be an indication for surgery in TLJBF and series of patients conservatively managed with success have been reported. A retrospective study on 18 patients is reported. Patients included in this series were neurologically intact and affected by a TLJBF A3 or A4 at CT scan, the height of the burst vertebral body was >50%, spinal canal invasion was <30% and kyphosis deformity <30 degrees. Pain and quality of life were evaluated using graphic rating scale (GRS) and EuroQol (EQ-5D) scores on admission, at the clinical follow-up and in post-surgical period. Comparing pre- an...

Research paper thumbnail of Revision surgery for degenerative spinal deformity: a case report and review of the literature

Spinal cord series and cases, 2017

Management of spinal degenerative deformities always represents a challenge for the spinal surgeo... more Management of spinal degenerative deformities always represents a challenge for the spinal surgeon. We report a case of revision surgery for adult scoliosis, focusing of most common errors in pre-surgical management and criteria for reoperation. We analyzed the spino-pelvic parameters on the standing whole-spine X-ray and the role of sagittal balance. To restore 45° of lumbar lordosis, we performed a L3 Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy (PSO), along with L2-L3 and L3-L4 eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF). In cases of adult scoliosis, careful preoperative planning is necessary in an attempt to avoid difficult, expensive, and high-risk additional procedures.

Research paper thumbnail of The Manubriotomy is a safe option for the anterior approach to the cervico-thoracic junction

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Static and dynamic cervical MRI: two useful exams in cervical myelopathy

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard exam in the assessment of patients... more Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard exam in the assessment of patients affected by cervical myelopathy and is very useful in planning the operation. Herein we present a series of patients affected by long tract symptoms who underwent dynamic MRI in addition to the static exam. In the period between March 2010 and March 2012, three-hundred-ten patients referred to our department since affected by neck/arm pain or symptoms related to cervical myelopathy. Thirty-eight patients complained "long-tract symptoms" related to cervical myelopathy. This series of patients was enrolled in the study. All patients underwent clinical and neurological exam. In all the cases, a static and dynamic cervical MRI was executed using a 3.0-T superconducting MR unit (Intera, Philips, Eindhoven, Netherlands). The dynamic exam was performed with as much neck flexion and extension the patient could achieve alone. On T2-weigthed MRI each level was assessed independently by ...

Research paper thumbnail of C5 palsy after insertion of a winged expandable cervical cage: a case report and literature review

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

C5 nerve root palsy is a well-known complication after anterior or posterior cervical decompressi... more C5 nerve root palsy is a well-known complication after anterior or posterior cervical decompression. Many theories have been proposed but the etiology is still unclear. The use of a winged expandable cage after single or multiple corpectomy is among the used techniques in reconstructing the cervical spine. Herein we report a case of C5 palsy after a three-level corpectomy and reconstruction using this device for the treatment of cervical spondylosis. In our case the preexisting foraminal stenosis, wide anterior decompression and partial improvement of cervical alignment were factors supposed contributing to the palsy.

Research paper thumbnail of A case of cervical tuberculosis with severe kyphosis treated with a winged expandable cage after double corpectomy

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

In this case report, we demonstrate that the use of a winged expandable cage was able to obtain g... more In this case report, we demonstrate that the use of a winged expandable cage was able to obtain good clinical and radiological results in a case of cervical tuberculosis with severe kyphosis. However, case series will be necessary to affirm its validity as a stand-alone device for similar cases with high risk of instability.

Research paper thumbnail of Vertebral hemangiomas: common lesions with still many unknown aspects

Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Lumbar Annular Tear in the Absence of Nerve Root Compression: Is Discectomy Useful?

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2016

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-No... more This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. How to cite this article: Raju B, Lukose S, Reddy NK. Does lack of resources within the family starting point to social exclusion for persons with brain cancer?.

Research paper thumbnail of Decompression versus decompression and fusion for degenerative lumbar stenosis: analysis of the factors influencing the outcome of back pain and disability

Journal of Spine Surgery, 2016

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of bac... more Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of back pain and disability in patients operated for lumbar stenosis without instability and deformity using two classical surgical techniques: decompression alone and decompression plus fusion. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent lumbar surgery with standard posterior decompression or standard posterior decompression plus pedicle screw fixation for degenerative lumbar stenosis without deformity, spondylolisthesis or instability at our department from June 2010 to January 2014. They were divided into two groups: decompression group (D) and decompression-fusion group (F). We analyzed the following factors: age, gender, levels of stenosis, pre-surgical "micro-instability", and post-surgical "micro-instability". Results: A total of 174 patients were enrolled in the study. Both Graphic Rating Scale (GRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were significantly decreased after surgery (P<0.001). Female patients appeared to have lesser improvements from surgery, for both D and F groups. An analysis of variance using the decrease of pain (GRS pre-post) as dependent variable and type of surgery, age, gender and their interaction as factors showed that the main effects of type of surgery and gender were significant. The analysis of variance for the decrease of pain (GRS) and disability (ODI) according to the levels of stenosis showed a significant interaction for GRS scores. Female patients that underwent fixation surgery reported the least improvement in disability. A significant interaction was found on the one-way analysis of variance for the D group without pre-surgical micro-instability using post-surgical micro-instability as factor. Conclusions: Our study supports posterior decompression alone as the gold standard option as treatment for lumbar stenosis without instability and deformity. Additional fusion should be considered only to prevent post-surgical instability. The "micro-instability" is a radiological finding that has its clinical surrogate but is not able to guide the choice of the type of surgery. Moreover the significance of "micro-instability" is still unclear. We suggest a prospective study following patients with asymptomatic micro-instability to definitively understand the clinical history.

Research paper thumbnail of Letter to the Editor. Plasticity of the supplementary motor area

Neurosurgical Focus, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Neurosurg Focus Volume 45 @BULLET LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Research paper thumbnail of Considerations regarding supplementary motor area syndrome after surgery for parasagittal meningiomas